Vanilla pudding was the finishing touch of a fine dinner served at the Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 Takeover dinner last Monday at Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails in Detroit.
But it wasn’t just any vanilla pudding. This ultra-creamy pudding was topped with a dollop of bourbon-spiked whipped cream and pieces of crisp, buttery rosemary shortbread cookie. But the true highlight of the dessert was hidden underneath the cookie crumbles and whipped cream: a pool of chartreuse-hued syrup. Sweet but with a herbacious side, the syrup was scented with basil and tasted simply divine.
You needed a little dab of syrup with each bite because it brought all the flavors together perfectly. I say little, because the pudding serving was generous and I wanted to have enough syrup with every spoonful. Most diners at our table wanted more of the “green stuff” as one put it. Ditto with the rumblings I heard afterward.
My thoughts turned to making simple syrups and, well, how simple they really are. Easy to make and super versatile, the syrups can be served over ice cream and puddings and used in many other desserts. Simple syrups are also essential in some cocktails and other nonalcoholic drinks.
Called simple, they require only sugar and water. The basic recipe is equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and stir until the sugar dissolves. That’s it. You can keep the syrup in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 weeks.
The beauty of simple syrups is you can also infuse them with other flavors. In the case of the Chartreuse pudding, it was basil.
Every spring, I plant numerous basil seeds and watch them bloom profusely all summer long. I use the basil leaves in many dishes throughout the summer. And at the end of the season I have a bunch of basil left over. Today’s recipe for basil-scented syrup is the perfect way of to use up spare basil leaves.
Once you make the syrup, you can store it in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Drizzle the syrup over ice cream or fresh or grilled fruit, especially tropical fruits like mango, kiwi and papaya. You can mix it in lemonade or many summertime cocktails like a margarita. The next time I grill peaches or nectarines, I’ll finish them off with some creme fraîche and basil syrup.
Try this recipe as a base, and add flavorings to your liking. Use herbs like basil, tarragon and mint. Herbs like thyme and rosemary can be used, but use them sparingly because they have a much stronger flavor.
Basil-Infused Simple Syrup
Makes: About 1 cup
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
Wash the basil leaves under cool water.
In a small saucepan place the water, sugar and basil. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to about medium. Continue cooking until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain mixture into a container. Discard the basil leaves.
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
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